Autumn Street

The Woods at the End of Autumn Street is a wonderful book. I first came across it when I taught it to an S2 class in 1995 and since reading it I have fallen in love with the book. Indeed it was a fight in our department to see who could teach it, we all would if it wasn't out of print in the UK.Lowis Lowry combines humour with sensitivity and strong emotions. It ahs you laughing and crying all at once. Her carefully crafted sentences wee music to my ears, so often she creates beautiful images or lively dialogue.Often pupils will tell me that it was the best book they ever read, and often years after they read it, it has that lasting quality that everyone loves. The wonderfully realistic characters, particularly the young Elizabeth invokes reaction in all of us, everyone remebers being as young and carefree as Elizabeth and everyone longs to share her sense of adventure just as everyone shares her guilt when she calls Charles, her young black friend, a "nigger", because her great aunts were paying him more attention than they paid her.It is the realism of this book that makes it a winner. You can't fail to love it and in my experience no-one ever does, even the poorest of classes have loved this book, whilst my mother also adored it when I gave it to her. A real all round winner. Try it and see.

There were so many details in this book that I thought I was there.Lowry has such a great way of writing. I have also read Number the Stars and thought it was just as heart warming. I hope one day I will read all of her books. So far this is my favorite and I truly give this book 5 stars.

THe details of this book were great they made you feal like you were there. Lowry has such great writing skills to write this book. I also read number the stars and thought it was so hart warming. I hope to read all of her books. THis is favorite one ,so I truly give it 5 stars.

From the opening description of the painting of Autumn Street that Elizabeth plans to the final, haunting image, Lowry creates a world that feels completely authentic. Elizabeth's rivalry with and love for her sister, her difficult relationship with her distant grandmother, her admiration of her grandfather and her overwhelming love for her best friend, Charles, all ring true. This book manages to include class issues, racism and war inside a story of a small Pennsylvania town. I read this for the first time at age seven and still cry for Elizabeth. I can't say enough good things about it.

I also read this book when I was young prob not more than about 7-I am 21 now. But unlike the above reader, I did not dislike the book. Yes it was sad, even to this day I have reread the book many times and it is very sad, and may be hard for young children to handle, but it also taught me so much. It showed me that even though there are bad things that happen you can survive and go on, Elizabeth persevered and survived her ordeal. It also showed me how important family and friends are and that you have to respect them. This contiues to be one of my favorite books and Lois Lowry one of my favorite authors.